元日の今日、そして明日はじっと家で過ごす。コロナに加えて年明けということでお店も軒並みしまっているからだ。
ウィルは朝から近所の家族に軽く会いにいく。本当は僕たちも挨拶したいがコロナだからしかたない。

嫁さんには年明けから悪いが、歌詞の添削や予習を手伝ってもらった。プリプロの段階で構成が変わり、歌詞を増やした箇所がいくつもあった。さらにNamelessの反省から事前に予習が必要なことがわかったためレッスンをしてもらった。付け焼き刃でも声をセーブするためにできるだけ録音の時間を短縮したい。そのためにはNGテイクを減らす必要がある。
嫁さんも嫌々ながら付き合ってくれた。

その夜、連絡が入ってハンクが家族の事情で年明けから参加できなくなってしまったと告げられる。ウィルは手術した手がまだ万全ではなく、アシスタントがいないとかなり辛い状況だということは知っていたので、一瞬かなりびっくりしたが、彼は代打にTigers Jawのコリンをすでに手配してくれていた。コリンはStudio4でアシスタントとして働いていた過去があり、Title Fightなどの作品にも関わっている。アンプのセッティングは誰よりも彼がうまいらしい。「Floral Greenの音は全部コリンだから、問題ないっしょ！？」とウィルの一言にはもう「押忍」で返すしかない。Title Fightの名前はもう水戸黄門の印籠なのだ。

ハンクは残念だが、コリンとの作業も楽しみだ。

朝一でコリンがやってきてくれた。彼とはTigers Jawの来日の時に少し話した程度だが、僕は彼や、彼の周辺のバンドやクルーのファンだ。だから今回はイレギュラーとは言え嬉しい代打アシスタントだ。来てくれたことにお礼をいうと、TJのツアーが軒並みキャンセルになってしまい本当に暇だったらしい。音楽と関わることが出来て嬉しいよと言ってくれた。
さらに、ウィルのアシスタントのジャスティンもこの日から参加してくれる。彼は非常に大人しい性格で、アメリカ人らしくないがエディット作業などは非常に正確にこなす人物らしい。

今日はまずボーカルから。この日から最終日まで連日、10曲歌い上げないといけない。声が枯れて出なくなったらアウト。アルバムの曲数を減らす事になる。今日から1日2曲のペースで片付けるとウィルからの宣言も出た。だから喉を使う曲、割と楽な曲などペースを考えないといけない。今日はGravity、Searchingをセットにすることにした。

予習もあってかNamelessの時よりはてこずらない、しかしとにかくやり直しまくる。
発音の指摘もがんがん飛ぶし、どうしても正しく発音できないリリックはその場で単語を変える。
指摘が入って自分の間違いに気づけるときはまだいいのだが、指摘されてもなにが間違っているか、ネイティブでない僕には判別できない時がある。もうそうなったらお手上げで単語を変えるしかないのだ。 正直この日から最終日まではずっと不安なまま心が晴れない。やり切れるのか不安で仕方なく、あんなに来たかったスタジオなのに逃げ出したい気持ちになった。

Gravityは大体1時間半くらいで取り終え、キー的に簡単だと思われたSearchingへ。しかしこれはこれで難しい。静かな曲は全面的にキー修正出来ないと言われた。修正すると目立ってしまうので、全て自前で上手に歌わないといけない。本当に先に言って欲しかった。やってみてわかったが、静かな曲の方がニュアンスが難しい。Searchingは今回のアルバムで初挑戦の曲調だった。どの曲を選んだとしてもどのみち地獄なのだ。

この日もボーカル録りは予定時間をオーバー。残りのわずかな時間でコリンとギターを取った。ウィルは別件があるということで席を外していた。

帰宅して、Namelessを自宅のスタジオで軽くミックスしてくれたのだが、我が耳を疑った。めちゃくちゃ音がいい。まるで自分の音源ではないかのような音なのだ。震える程感動した。

このミックスで自身の作業の方向性が間違っていないということをウィル自身も確認しているようだった。
日本のレコーディングスタジオではその日に作業した分はWAVデータに書き出してバンドに渡してくれるのが普通だが、彼はそうではない。その理由を聞くと「中途半端な状態で渡すとあれもやりたい、ここを直したいと始まって収拾がつかなくなるから」だそうだ。大物になればなるほどその自己主張は激しいようで、全部彼らの言い出すことを真に受けていたら期間内にレコーディングが終わらないので自然とそうなったようだ。故に、音は記憶に焼き付けるか、iPhoneでこっそり動画に取って聴き返すしかない。自分の音源なのにリークみたいなことをしないといけないのはなんともシュールだ。

そして、この日から僕はボーカル録りのために全ての無駄話に禁止令が敷かれる。まぁもう英語をしゃべるのにも疲れていた頃だったし丁度よかったのも正直なところだ。

眠い目を擦りながら、小声で次の日に録る曲の歌詞を嫁と予習したが、疲労困憊だったため気がつくと寝てしまっていた。

朝スタジオにいくとコリンがスタジオに泊まっていたので驚いた。ずっとツアーしているからどこでも寝れるんだそうだ。近くにお兄さんの家があるからそこを当てにしていたようだが、なんとコロナになってしまったそうで結局スタジオに泊まることになったらしい。

午前中はコリンと2人きりで作業した。ウィルもコリンにはハンクのように指示せず、好きなようにやってくれとのことだった。それだけ腕を買っているよう。
ギターのリードにはFenderのアンプも多用したが、僕はあまりFenderに慣れていない。そこをコリンは的確に補佐してくれたし、横で見ていて勉強になった。

午後はDeep Downのボーカルを録音。
クルー内で推しの曲だっただけに、ウィルもボーカル録りは気合いで望んでくれた。気合いがすごいので「ここはDOJO(道場)だね」と言ったら、それ以降「DOJO」はクルーのネタに。「BONES!! DOJO!!」という訳のわからない内輪ノリが生まれた。
どうにか取り終えたが結構喉を酷使してしまった。痛みもあるし、結構声が引っかかるようになる。正直なところ、もう不安で不安で仕方ない。それでも明日も明後日もレコーディングは続く。耐えねばならない。

本来メンバーと渡米していれば、誰かの作業中に確認したり、休んだり、歌詞を考えたりできるが今回は全て自分1人で取り組まなければならない。どんなに疲れていても帰宅して、夕飯を食べた後の時間を使って予習しないといけないが、朝から晩までスタジオで作業すると体力が保たない。

結局この日は予習もそこそこに寝てしまう。

朝一番でシャワーを浴びながら、声が出るか恐る恐る歌ってみる。この瞬間が本当に恐ろしいがここから最終日までは毎朝それを繰り返すこととなった。

「おはよう」とウィルに言うと、「しゃべるな！」と怒られた。それ位いいだろとは思ったものの、ここのボスは彼だ。素直に従おう。

この日も午前中はコリンと2人で作業。リードギターは得意科目なだけに楽しい作業だ。この日はDry Outのリードを録った。Dry Outはアメリカに来て構成が大きく変わったためデモがない。なのでスタジオでアイデアをコリンと練った。歌が映えるようとにかくシンプルにただオクターブを弾くのが良いという結論に。今までの自分ではあり得ない選択だったが今回はそれで行ってみることにした。

喉も痛いし、歌詞も短いからという理由で、自分でWhen It's Overをチョイスした。
今思うとウィルは「あぁついにそれですか」という顔をしていたのだが、その時の僕にはわからなかった。またしても地獄の扉を開けてしまったようだ。
ほぼ囁くように歌うこの曲は、Searchingよりもシビアで、キー修正は一切なし。ガチで歌わなければならず。もう一言目から全くOKが出ない状況になってしまう。本当にやってもやっても終わらない。やっている方も辛いが、横で聞いている方もさぞ辛かっただろう。

わずか１０行〜１５行ほどの短い歌が永遠のように感じる。
ずっと低い声で囁いているのも実はかなりしんどい、段々マラソンをした時のように酸欠で視界が青く見えてきてしまい、ウィルに心配される(Studio4あるあるで、倒れる人もいるらしい)。1時間半程やったあたりで1回休憩。全然進まない。情けないやら、悔しいやら、申し訳ないなやらで、感情がぶっ壊れ、俯瞰で自分をかえり見たせいか「ひひひひぃ」と笑ってしまったのだが、スタジオにいる全員「やばい、Bonesが壊れた」と目を合わせたらしい。生まれて初めてマイクの前で涙が出そうになった。投げ出したい気持ちマックスではあったが、アメリカまで来て10年来の夢から逃げる訳にはいかない。ウィルが諦めるまで諦めないことが唯一の使命だ。

ちなみに、ウィルの使っているボーカルマイクはローリンヒルが使ったまさにそのマイクだそう。ものすごく温かみがあってクリアに音が録れる。値段も超高いらしい。それだけにこの曲では正確なボーカルが要求され、ひたすら追い込まれる。この時の映像があるがとても人に見せられない。もうとっ散らかりすぎて、顔が福笑いのようにガチャガチャになっているからだ。
結局合計3時間ほど格闘して命からがらボーカルを録り終えた。
もう体力が１ミリものこっていない、帰宅後ベッドに倒れ込むように眠った。

今日から作業はボーカルのみ。やっと少し楽になった。
From the Insideといよいよリードシングル候補のDry Outを録る。

From the Insideもそこそこ時間が掛かったがどうにか午前中で取り終えた。

そしてDry Outへ。今までボーカル取りの実作業は、ウィルの手に痛みがあるため、アシスタントが変わるがわる行っていたが、Dry Outは本人直々に取り組んでくれた。それくらい気に入ってくれた曲だったようだ。
この曲はキーが高い。チューニングも実はこの曲だけはレギュラーだ。下げることもできたのだが、最初のインスピレーションを大事にしたかったのであえて下げなかった。
スムーズとは言い難いが、ここまで連日スパルタでやられるともう精神的にも慣れがきて「Sorry, one more!!」と自分から言えるようになった。テイクが良かったか悪かったか自分でも判断できるようになってきたのだ。この辺りから、喉は痛いものの、なぜか声も出続けるようになった。筋肉が慣れてきているんだとウィルからは聞かされた。人間の体は不思議だ。

僕のインスタグラムにも載せたが、最初のプレイバックは想像を絶するほどに良かった。何度もやり直す作業があってこそ、緻密に音が積み上がり、グルーブとトーンが生まれる。だから個々の音がそれぞれの帯域ではまり合うことが必要なのだ。そして何度もやり直しているせいもあるが、これが自分なのか？と言わんばかりの音になる。ここまでどの曲でも同じように思ったけど、Dry Outは何か特別だった気がする。

最高にいい気分だったのだが、スタジオで余韻に浸っていると「トランプ派の襲撃」の事件がスタジオに飛び込んできて、皆iPhoneに釘付けになる。国会議事堂に押し入るなんて前代未聞だ。
そこから話は人種差別の問題へ発展。仲のいい白人とアジア人でこの手の話ができることは興味深い瞬間だった。白人社会の中でアジア人、有色人種として生きることは僕らの想像を超えているようで、とてもショックを受けた。僕はアメリカのカルチャーや音楽・エンターテイメントが大好きだが、1ヶ月近くアメリカにいて日本と言う国の良さも見えた気がする。アメリカには魅力的な部分も多く存在するが、破綻している部分は本当にひどいようだ。
ウィルは僕らの帰国後に激化する、アジアンヘイトに対して寄付を募ったり、抗議する運動を起こしている。ぜひ興味があれば彼のインスタグラムをのぞいてほしい。

前日でギター録りを終えているため、この日がコリン、そしてジャスティンの最終日だったことを突然告げられた。「あれ？いってなかったっけ？」いえ、聞いてません（笑）。そこは非常にアメリカ人らしかった。
「いいアルバムになるよ、最後までがんばってね」と2人は言ってくれた。偶然とはいえブラザーが増えたのは嬉しい。Tigers Jawは僕にとってかけがえのないバンドになった。

今日からは、僕と嫁とウィルで3人でスタジオにいく。アシスタントはいない。作業も残り少なくなってきた。別れが近い証拠でだんだんと寂しくなる。
フィラデルフィアでの日程を消化したら、4日ほど僕ら夫婦はニューヨークで過ごしてから帰国する予定で、スタジオに向かう車の中でウィルと細かく詳細を話した。建前上、そのような話をしたものの、ボーカルレックのノルマはまだ4曲もある。でも、喉が痛いし、会話する時の声もガラガラだ。嫁さんから「そろそろニューヨークのホテルを予約しようか？」と言われたものの、最後まで喉が保つか自信のなかった僕は一旦それを保留にした。もしかしたら最後まで保たないかもしれない。そう思っていた。

今日はRewinding the Time、Learningを録音する。どちらも難しい曲だ。
歌詞の添削を先にやって歌うと言うシステムが今更ここで登場。ばーっと歌詞を見直して歌い始めた。
Rewinding the Timeはずいぶん前に書いた曲で、アメリカで歌うのは感慨深い。ノルマの半分をすぎてボーカルレックも小慣れてきた。各曲1時間くらいで終われたと思う。喉を温存するということで今日は早めにお開きにした。

帰りにクリスティーナと合流し、ターゲットに日用品の買い出しに行った。
店内でそれぞれのカップルに別れた際、嫁とこっそり家主の2人に当てて置き手紙を書くためのカードを買った。

普段のレコーディングでウィルは、スタジオでは一日中バンドといるものの、その日が終われば帰宅してクリスティーナや、1人で時間を過ごす。しかし、僕の場合は「おはよう」から「おやすみ」までほぼ24時間一緒だ。彼の人生でそんな風に過ごした人物は僕と、嫁が初めて、物心ついてからは親ですらそんなことはないと言っていた。そう言われてはっとした。冷静に考えると僕にとっても同じだからだ。お互い国を隔てて、巡り巡ってこの地で時間を長いこと共有している。なかなかしんどいが、素晴らしい人生経験だ。
その夜、嫁さんと「ウィルは今回、俺がブロだって言う理由だけでレコーディングを受けてくれたのかなぁ？」と話した。無名のHollow Sunsのレコーディングはウィルにとってあまりメリットのない話だし、何故それをグラミー賞にまでノミネートされたバンドを抱える彼が受けてくれたのだろう？その件は、僕がいない時に嫁さんが聞いてくれていたようで「楽曲に可能性を感じた」と言ってくれていたらしい。今回のレコーディングはいくらでも理由をつけて断れたはずだったし、多少お世辞を言ってくれたにしても彼はそう思ってくれているんだと思うと嬉しかった。

そう思うとカードに書く言葉も自然と長くなった。iPhoneに日本語で下書きして、嫁さんに翻訳してもらうことにした。日本ではもう年が明け、取引先も動き出しているため、多少連絡が飛んでくる。その対応もしてこの日は就寝。

残りのノルマも2曲となった。だいぶ心が楽になってきた。昨日はビビってホテルの予約を保留にしたが、思い切って予約をすることにした。とは言ってもこの時期のニューヨークのホテルはコロナのせいでガラガラだ。中の下くらいのグレードのホテルを抑えた。

今日はMotionless Timeの録音をした。この曲はキー的にも非常に楽だ。1時間半程掛かったものの、割とさっくり録り終えることができた。

そのあとはギターを再び録音した。グシャグシャに歪んだファズの音をテクスチャーとして重ねる。素材取りに近い作業だ。こんな音が役に立つのかな？と思ったものの、後日ミックスが上がってくると納得の仕上がりだった。 曲によって各素材の強弱を調整して、ゲインコントロールしているようだった。全ての素材を自分で弾いたから、100%ではないがその押し引きは聴き取ることができたと思う。シンプルな楽曲の中に山ほど音が入っているが、お互いを邪魔していないのがすごい。

今日も早めに切り上げようとした時、ウィルのもとにクリスティーナから連絡が入り、何故か焦っている。写真を見せてもらうと、家の前に置き配されたアマゾンの箱が動物に食いちぎられ、中身が飛び散っていた。実はこの荷物の正体は味噌。お別れの前に家で味噌汁を作ってあげようと嫁さんが気を利かせ、アマゾンで味噌を頼んでいたのだ。それを野生のチップとデールが食ってしまった。東洋の神秘であるお味噌から、さぞエキゾチックな匂いがしたんだろう。笑い話ではあったが、綺麗なポーチに味噌がついてしまったので帰って掃除した。
おまけにウィルは防犯カメラを設置するようクリスティーナに頼まれていたのに先延ばしにしたせいで、置き配を取り逃がして事件が起こったと怒られてしまい。親切心からきたことだったとはいえ、申し訳ない結果になった。

その夜、前夜に書いた置き手紙を手書きでカードに清書した。長すぎる文章だったためカードは裏までびっしりになってしまった。僕の感謝が伝わればいい。

いよいよ今日でスタジオ最終日。中盤は行くのもしんどかったが、終わりかけてしまうと名残惜しい。この日は昼ごろからスタジオにはいった。いつもより寝る時間が長く取れたので少し声にも余裕があった気がする。

アルバムの2曲目Deceptionを最後に録る。この曲はキーも楽だし、歌録りの中でも1番楽しんでできたと思う。あんなに嫌だった歌録りも終わるとなると寂しいが、終わった瞬間にプレッシャーから一気に解放され、本当にスタジオの中で飛び回って喜んだ。ついにやり切った！もう喋るのを我慢しないでもいいし、朝のシャワーで恐々と声出ししないでもいい。普通の生活は最高だ。

「じゃあ終わろうか、お疲れさん」とウィルに言われて、とても名残惜しい気持ちに。 最後にスタジオの中を1人で歩いた。ここまで音楽に没頭できた数週間は今までの自分の人生には無かった。たくさんインスパイアされた。次の目標はまたここに戻ってくることだ。それには純粋な感情や綺麗事だけでは済まない面も多々あるが、精進したい。心からそう思った。

最後に名物のスタジオのネオンの前でウィルと写真を撮った。この写真は一生大事にするだろう。改めて嫁さんにもお礼を言いたい。よくぞここまで付き合ってくれた。本当にありがとう。

明日はいよいよニューヨークへ旅立つ。３週間ほど滞在したフィリーとはお別れだ。夜、荷物をまとめ、客間やバスルームを掃除した。

朝からさらに嫁と掃除。僕はズボラなので嫁さんに怒られる。
洗面所や、キッチンも感謝をこめて掃除した。「そんなにやらなくても良いよ(笑)」と言ってくれたが、もうウィルの性格が細かいのは充分わかったので、できる限りのことはしてあげたいという気持ちになった。

最後まで懐いてくれなかった愛犬のエラにも挨拶した。エラはBalance And Composureの曲名にもなっている、ウィル周辺では名物犬として有名だ。残念ながら、だいぶ老犬だった彼女は、僕らが帰国して程なく、この世を去ってしまった。彼女にとっては僕らが最後のお客さんだったのかな。全然懐かない変な犬だったけど会えてよかった。

昼まえごろ、4人でクリスティーナの車にのりニューヨークまで向かった。フィリーからは2時間かからないくらいの道のり、東京〜静岡くらいの距離感だろうか。 無事マンハッタンについてハングアウトした。

4人で音楽から離れて和気藹々と遊ぶのは2018年の東京や、京都以来で、この時でもう2年近く時間がすぎている。コロナのせいで世界も様変わりしたが、ひょんなことから出会ったアメリカ人と場所を変え、ニューヨークで時間を過ごすのはなんとも感慨深い。

この時期のアメリカはレストランの店内にはまだ入れなかった。テイクアウトするか、外の仮設席(海の家みたいな感じ)で凍えながら食べるしかない。しかしそこはニューヨーク、それでもさまざまバリエーションがあり、温室のような透明な個室席のある店を見つけ、そこで最後のディナーを食べた。コロナチャージなるものがあり、だいぶ良い値段のするレストランだったが、まぁそこは奮発。

フィリーへの帰り道は非常に渋滞するということ、次の日からウィルは別のレコーディングがあることなどもあり、19時ごろにホテルの前で最後の別れをした。名残惜しいことこの上ない。

今までこんなに人に感謝したことがあるだろうか。彼は無名の僕の夢を叶えてくれた。
そう思うともうダメで、英語も出てこない。かわりにマンハッタンのど真ん中で涙がボロンボロンでた。
ウィルも驚いていたが、1番驚いていたのはうちの嫁さんだった。彼女の前で泣くのは初めてだからだ。ウィルとクリスティーナと抱きしめあって別れを惜しんだ。
「また戻ってこいよ、君はブラザーだ」と言ってもらってまた涙が出た。書いていて相当恥ずかしいが、ここ10年で1番泣いたかもしれない。

車が見えなくなるまで見送って、アルバム”Otherside”のレコーディングは終わりを迎えた。まぁ、僕は終わりでもウィルはミックス〜マスタリングまでまだまだ作業があるんだが、そこは涙と共に見なかったことにしよう。
ここから数日しばし音楽から離れ、ニューヨークを楽しむことにする。

ニューヨークを観光している最中に悲報が。帰国の際の入国規制が変わってしまい、自主PCR検査が義務化。日本語フォーマットの書類に医師のサインまで必要になる。

仕方なく、フライトの前日にJFKまで1度赴き、日本語に対応しているPCR検査を受けることに。これがまた高額で参った。UberでJFKに行くだけでもなかなか良い値段なのに追い討ちがすごい。しかも日本語のフォーマットの書類は適当にWordで作ったようなクオリティのPDFで、それに医師がボールペンで適当にサインする。こんなの自分で書いても一緒じゃないかとすら思うほどのものだった。それでも帰れないよりましなので渋々お金を払った。

ついにアメリカを後にする。朝ホテルでコーヒーを飲んで空港へ向かうUberを呼んだ。
こんなに特別な旅がまた来るのだろうか？これが人生で最後だったのかもしれないとすら思うほど実りのある濃い旅だった。

前日のPCR書類も問題なく通過し、飛行機に搭乗できたが同意書もセットだ。内容は「もし、自粛期間を破って出歩き、クラスターを起こしたら実名報道します」という恐ろしいものだったが、こちらに選択権はない。

帰りも行きと同様、がらがらの飛行機にのって羽田についた。羽田空港で抗体検査を受け、1ヶ月間で4回目のPCR。この期間、誰よりもPCRを受けた自信がある。

入国も無事完了し羽田から1ヶ月ぶりに帰路につき、僕の大冒険はフィナーレとなった。

I will spend New Year's Day today and tomorrow at home. This is because, in addition to the coronavirus, many shops are closed due to the new year.
Will goes to visit a family in the neighborhood briefly in the morning. Actually, we also want to say hello, but since it's coronavirus, we have no choice.

I'm sorry for my wife since the beginning of the year, but she helped me correct the lyrics and prepare for the song. During the pre-production stage, the composition changed and there were many parts where lyrics were added. Furthermore, after reflecting on Nameless, I realized that I needed to prepare in advance, so I asked him to give me a lesson. I want to shorten the recording time as much as possible in order to save the voice even if I use a tacked-on blade. To achieve this, it is necessary to reduce the number of NG takes.
Even my wife reluctantly agreed to go along with me.

That night, they get a call and are told that Hank will not be able to participate from the beginning of the year due to family reasons. I was quite surprised for a moment, as I knew that Will's hand wasn't completely healed after surgery and he would be in a very difficult situation without an assistant, but he had already arranged for Colin from Tigers Jaw to be a pinch hitter. Colin has previously worked as an assistant at Studio 4, and has also been involved in projects such as Title Fight. He seems to be better at setting up amps than anyone else. ``The sounds of Floral Green are all made by Colin, so there's no problem, right?'' Will said, and I had no choice but to respond with a ``push''. The name of Title Fight is already Mito Komon's Inro.

I feel bad for Hank, but I'm also looking forward to working with Colin.

Colin came over first thing in the morning. I only spoke with him briefly when Tigers Jaw came to Japan, but I'm a fan of him and his surrounding bands and crew. That's why I'm happy to be a pinch-hitting assistant, even if it's irregular. When I thanked him for coming, he told me that all of TJ's tours had been cancelled, so he really had no free time. He said he was happy to be involved in music.
Additionally, Will's assistant Justin will be joining us from this day on. He has a very calm personality, and although he doesn't seem like an American, he seems to be very accurate in his editing work.

Today we'll start with vocals. From this day until the last day, we have to sing 10 songs every day. If your voice becomes hoarse and you can no longer hear it, you are out. The number of songs on the album will be reduced. Will also announced that he would clean up at a pace of two songs a day starting today. So I have to think about the pace of the songs, such as songs that use the throat and songs that are relatively easy. Today I decided to include Gravity and Searching as a set.

It's not as difficult as it was for Nameless, probably because of the preparation, but I keep trying again.
He's also quick to point out pronunciation, and when he can't pronounce a lyric correctly, he changes the word on the spot.
It's okay when someone points out something and you realize your mistake, but even if it's pointed out to me, there are times when I can't tell what's wrong as a non-native speaker. If that happens, we'll have no choice but to change the word. Honestly, from this day until the final day, I was so anxious that I couldn't calm down. I couldn't help but worry about whether I would be able to finish it, and even though I wanted to come to the studio so much, I felt like I wanted to run away.

I finished Gravity in about an hour and a half, and moved on to Searching, which I thought was easy based on the key. But this is difficult. I was told that it is not possible to completely change the key for quiet songs. If you correct it, it will stand out, so you have to sing it well yourself. I really wanted you to tell me first. As I tried it out, I realized that quieter songs are more difficult to understand the nuances of. Searching was the first song I tried for this album. No matter what song you choose, it's going to be hell anyway.

Vocal recording on this day also exceeded the scheduled time. With only a little time left, I picked up the guitar with Colin. Will was absent because he had other matters to attend to.

When I got home, he briefly mixed Nameless in his home studio, and I couldn't believe my ears. The sound is really good. It's as if the sound isn't my own. I was so moved that I was shaking.

Will seemed to confirm that he was on the right track with this mix.
In Japanese recording studios, it is normal for the work done on that day to be exported to WAV data and handed over to the band, but this is not the case with him. When I asked him why, he said, ``If I give it to him in a half-finished state, he'll start wanting to do that and fix that, and things will get out of control.'' It seems that the bigger they become, the more assertive they become, and if they had taken everything they said seriously, they wouldn't have been able to finish recording within the time period, so this seems to have happened naturally. Therefore, I have no choice but to burn the sound into my memory, or secretly record it on my iPhone and listen to it again. It's so surreal that I have to do something like leak even though it's my own sound source.

And from this day on, all idle talk will be prohibited for me to record vocals. Well, to be honest, it was at a time when I was already tired of speaking English, so it was perfect.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I quietly studied the lyrics for the song I was going to record the next day with my wife, but I was so exhausted that I had fallen asleep before I knew it.

When I went to the studio in the morning, I was surprised to find that Colin was staying there. Apparently he can sleep anywhere because he's touring all the time. Apparently, he was relying on his brother's house nearby, but he apparently contracted the coronavirus and ended up staying at the studio.

In the morning, I worked alone with Colin. Will also told Colin not to give instructions like Hank did, but to do whatever he wanted. It's like he's buying an arm that much.
I also used a lot of Fender amps for guitar lead, but I'm not that familiar with Fender. Colin assisted me with this, and I learned a lot from watching from the side.

In the afternoon, I recorded vocals for Deep Down.
Since it was a popular song within the crew, Will was enthusiastic enough to want to record the vocals. There was a lot of enthusiasm, so I said, ``This is a DOJO,'' and from then on, ``DOJO'' became a topic for the crew. An incomprehensible internal buzz of "BONES!! DOJO!!" was born.
I managed to finish it off, but it ended up hurting my throat quite a bit. It's painful, and my voice becomes quite hoarse. To be honest, I can't help but feel anxious and worried. Still, recording will continue tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. have to endure.

Normally, if I went to America with the members, I would be able to check on someone else's work, take a break, and think about the lyrics, but this time I had to do everything by myself. No matter how tired I am, I have to come home and use the time after dinner to prepare for lessons, but working in the studio from morning to night doesn't keep my stamina up.

In the end, I ended up sleeping through my preparations that day.

First thing in the morning, while taking a shower, I try to sing, anxious to see if I can hear it. This moment was truly terrifying, but I ended up repeating it every morning from now until the final day.

When I said ``Good morning,'' Will scolded me, ``Don't talk!'' I thought that was pretty good, but he's the boss here. Follow me obediently.

On this day as well, Colin and I worked together in the morning. Lead guitar is my specialty, so it's fun work. On this day, I recorded the lead for Dry Out. Since Dry Out came to America, the composition has changed a lot, so there is no demo. So I worked out the idea with Colin in the studio. I came to the conclusion that it would be better to simply play the octave so that the song would stand out. It was a choice that would never have been possible for me, but I decided to give it a try this time.

I personally chose When It's Over because it hurt my throat and the lyrics were short.
Now that I think about it, Will had a look on his face that said, ``Ah, that's finally it,'' but I didn't understand that at the time. It seems like the door to hell has been opened once again.
This song, which is sung almost in a whisper, is more severe than Searching, and there is no key correction at all. I had to really sing. From the first word onwards, I would not be able to get an OK response at all. No matter how hard I try, it never ends. It was tough for those doing it, but it must have been even tougher for those listening next to it.

A short song of only 10 to 15 lines feels like an eternity.
It's actually quite tiring to keep whispering in a low voice, and my vision gradually starts to look blue due to lack of oxygen, just like when I ran a marathon, and Will worries about me (some people have collapsed in Studio 4). I took a break after about an hour and a half. It's not progressing at all. Feeling pathetic, frustrated, and apologetic, I was so overcome with emotion that I laughed out loud, saying, ``Hihihihi,'' perhaps because I looked down at myself, but apparently everyone in the studio looked at me and said, ``Oh no, Bones is broken.'' For the first time in my life, I felt like crying in front of the microphone. Although he wanted to give up, he couldn't come to America and run away from his dream of 10 years. His only mission is to not give up until Will does.

By the way, the vocal mic Will uses is the same one used by Lauryn Hill. It's extremely warm and records sound clearly. The price also seems to be extremely high. That's why this song requires precise vocals, and it's hard to beat. I have a video of this moment, but I can't show it to anyone. It's already too messy, and his face looks like he's laughing.
In the end, I fought for about three hours and barely managed to finish recording the vocals.
I didn't have an ounce of energy left, so I fell asleep on my bed after returning home.

From today, I'll only be working on vocals. I finally felt a little better.
From the Inside and finally record the lead single candidate Dry Out.

From the Inside also took some time, but I managed to finish it in the morning.

And then to Dry Out. Up until now, Will's assistants had been doing the actual vocal work one by one due to pain in his hands, but for Dry Out, he worked on it himself. It seems like that's how much people liked the song.
This song has a high key. The tuning is actually regular for this song. I could have lowered it, but I didn't because I wanted to cherish the initial inspiration.
It's hard to say it's been smooth, but after playing Sparta so many days, I've gotten used to it mentally and can now say, "Sorry, one more!!" I've become able to judge for myself whether a take was good or bad. From this point on, my throat started to hurt, but for some reason I started to be able to make a sound. Will told me that my muscles were getting used to it. The human body is strange.

As I posted on my Instagram, the first playback was better than I could have imagined. By repeating the process over and over again, the sounds are precisely built up and grooves and tones are created. Therefore, it is necessary for individual sounds to fit together in each band. And maybe it's because I've tried again and again, but is this who I am? It makes a sound as if to say. I felt the same way about all the songs so far, but I feel like Dry Out was something special.

It was a great feeling, but as we were basking in the afterglow in the studio, the incident of the ``Trump attack'' burst into the studio, and everyone was glued to their iPhones. Breaking into the Capitol building is unprecedented.
From there, the conversation turned to the issue of racism. It was an interesting moment for a white man and an Asian man to be able to have this kind of conversation. Living as an Asian person and a person of color in a white society seemed to be beyond our imagination, and I was very shocked. I love American culture, music, and entertainment, but after being in America for almost a month, I felt like I was able to see some of the best things about Japan. There are many attractive parts of America, but the parts that are failing seem to be truly terrible.
Will is collecting donations and starting a movement to protest against the anti-Asian hate that has intensified since we returned home. If you are interested, please check out his Instagram.

As we had finished recording the guitar the day before, we were suddenly told that this was Colin's and Justin's last day together. "Huh? You didn't say that?" No, I didn't hear that (lol). It was very American.
They told me, ``It's going to be a good album, please do your best until the end.'' I'm glad that the number of brothers has increased, even if it's just a coincidence. Tigers Jaw has become an irreplaceable band for me.

Starting today, me, my wife, and Will will be going to the studio together. There are no assistants. There's not much work left. It's proof that we're about to part ways, and I'm starting to feel lonely.
After completing our schedule in Philadelphia, my husband and I were planning to spend four days in New York before returning home, and Will and I discussed the details in detail on the way to the studio. Although we have talked about this in advance, there are still four songs left in the vocal recording quota. However, my throat hurts and my voice is hoarse when I talk. My wife asked me if we should book a hotel in New York, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hold my breath until the end, so I put it on hold. Maybe it won't last until the end. That's what I thought.

Today we will be recording Rewinding the Time and Learning. Both songs are difficult.
A system that allows you to correct the lyrics first before singing is now available. I quickly looked over the lyrics and started singing.
Rewinding the Time was a song I wrote a long time ago, and it was very emotional to sing it in America. I've passed half of my quota and I'm getting used to vocal recording. I think each song took about an hour to complete. I decided to open early today to save my throat.

On the way home, I met up with Christina and went to Target to buy some daily necessities.
When I was separated from each couple in the store, I bought cards to secretly write letters to my wife and my landlord.

During normal recording sessions, Will spends all day in the studio with the band, but at the end of the day he goes home and spends time with Christina and by himself. However, in my case, we are together almost 24 hours a day, from "good morning" to "good night." My wife and I were the first people in his life to spend time like that, and ever since I can remember, even my parents have said it never happens. I was surprised to hear that. If you think about it calmly, it's the same for me. Even though we are separated by countries, we have been traveling around and sharing time here for a long time. It's quite exhausting, but it's a great life experience.
That night, I talked with my wife, ``I wonder if Will agreed to record this time just because I'm a bro?'' The unknown Hollow Suns recording didn't really benefit Will, so why did he accept it when he had a Grammy-nominated band? Apparently, my wife heard about it when I wasn't there and said, ``I saw potential in the song.'' I could have refused this recording with any number of reasons, and even though he was flattering me, I was happy to know that he thought so.

When I thought about this, the words I wrote on the cards naturally became longer. I decided to draft it in Japanese on my iPhone and have my wife translate it. The new year has already ended in Japan, and our business partners are starting to make moves, so we are getting a lot of calls. I took care of that and went to bed for the day.

The remaining quota was two songs. My heart has become much more at ease. Yesterday I was scared and put my hotel reservation on hold, but I decided to take the plunge and make a reservation. That said, hotels in New York are empty at this time of year due to the coronavirus. We have suppressed the lower-middle-grade hotels.

Today we recorded Motionless Time. This song has a very easy key. Although it took about an hour and a half, I was able to finish recording fairly quickly.

After that I recorded the guitar again. Layer the distorted fuzz sound as a texture. The work is similar to collecting materials. I wonder if this kind of sound will be useful? However, when the mix came out later, I was satisfied with the result. It seemed like they were controlling the gain by adjusting the strength of each material depending on the song. I played all the material myself, so I think I could hear the push and pull, although not 100%. There are so many sounds in this simple song, but it's amazing how they don't interfere with each other.

Just as Will was about to end the day early, Will received a call from Christina, who seemed anxious for some reason. When I was shown a photo, an Amazon box placed in front of my house had been torn into pieces by an animal, and the contents were scattered all over the place. Actually, the true identity of this baggage is miso. Before we parted ways, my wife wanted to make some miso soup for me at home, so she ordered miso from Amazon. The wild Chip and Dale ate it. Miso, which is a mystery of the East, must have had an exotic smell. It was a funny story, but I ended up getting miso on my beautiful pouch, so I went home and cleaned it.
To make matters worse, Will was asked by Christina to install a security camera, but because he postponed it, Will got scolded for missing the arrangement and causing the incident. Although it was an act of kindness, it turned out to be an unfortunate outcome.

That night, I handwritten the letter I had written the night before onto a card. The text was so long that the back of the card was packed. I hope you can convey my gratitude.

Today is finally the last day in the studio. It was tough going in the middle, but as it neared the end, it was a shame to leave. On this day, I went to the studio around noon. Since I slept longer than usual, I feel like my voice was a little more relaxed.

The second song on the album, Deception, was recorded last. The key to this song is easy, and I think it was the most fun I had recording the song. I was sad to have to finish recording the song, which I hated so much, but the moment it was over, I was instantly relieved of the pressure, and I was really happy to be jumping around in the studio. I finally finished it! You don't have to hold back from speaking anymore, and you don't have to be afraid to say it out loud in the morning shower. Ordinary life is the best.

``Let's finish now, thank you for your hard work,'' Will said to me, and I felt very sad. Finally, I walked inside the studio alone. Never before in my life have I been able to immerse myself in music so much for a few weeks. It inspired me a lot. My next goal is to come back here again. There are many aspects to this that go beyond pure emotion and beauty, but I want to work hard on it. That's what I thought from the bottom of my heart.

Finally, I took a photo with Will in front of the famous neon lights of the studio. I will cherish this photo for the rest of my life. I would like to thank my wife again. Thank you for sticking with me this far. thanks so much.

Tomorrow I'm finally leaving for New York. I said goodbye to Philly, where I stayed for about three weeks. At night, I packed up my belongings and cleaned the guest room and bathroom.

I also cleaned with my wife in the morning. I'm lazy so my wife gets mad at me.
I also cleaned the bathroom and kitchen with gratitude. He said, ``You don't have to do that much (lol),'' but since I already understood the details of Will's personality, I felt like I wanted to do everything I could.

I also greeted my beloved dog Ella, who didn't get attached to me until the end. Ella is the name of the song Balance And Composure, and is famous around Will as a famous dog. Unfortunately, she was a very old dog and passed away shortly after we returned to Japan. I think we were her last customers. He was a strange dog that I didn't get along with at all, but I'm glad I met him.

Around noon, the four of us got into Christina's car and headed to New York. It's about a two-hour drive from Philly, about the distance between Tokyo and Shizuoka. We safely arrived in Manhattan and hung out.

It's been nearly two years since Tokyo and Kyoto in 2018 that the four of us took a break from music and had fun together. The world has changed a lot due to the coronavirus, but it was very moving to change places and spend time in New York with an American I met by chance.

At this time in America, people were still not allowed inside restaurants. The only option is to get take-out or eat while freezing in a temporary seat outside (looks like a beach hut). However, it was New York, and there were many variations, so I found a restaurant with private seats that looked like a greenhouse, and had my last dinner there. There was a corona charge, and it was a restaurant with a fairly good price, but it was a big deal.

Since there would be a lot of traffic on the way back to Philly, and Will had another recording session the next day, we said our final goodbyes in front of the hotel around 7pm. There is nothing left that I regret.

Have you ever been so grateful to someone? He made my unknown dream come true.
If you think like that, you're no good, and you can't even speak English anymore. Instead, I burst into tears in the middle of Manhattan.
Will was surprised, but the person who was most surprised was my wife. It's the first time I've cried in front of her. Will and Christina hugged each other and said goodbye.
When he told me, ``Come back, you're my brother,'' I burst into tears again. I'm pretty embarrassed to be writing this, but it may have been the most I've cried in the last 10 years.

I waited until the car was out of sight, and the recording of the album ``Otherside'' came to an end. Well, even though I'm done, Will still has work to do from mixing to mastering, but I'll pretend I didn't watch that with tears in my eyes.
I decided to take a break from music for a few days and enjoy New York.

Sad news came while sightseeing in New York. Entry regulations have changed when returning to Japan, and voluntary PCR tests are now mandatory. A doctor's signature is also required on the document in Japanese format.

I had no choice but to go to JFK once the day before my flight and take a PCR test that was available in Japanese. This also came at a high price. It's a pretty good price to just take an Uber to JFK, but the chase is amazing. Moreover, the documents in Japanese format are PDFs with a quality that looks like they were created in Word, and the doctor signs them with a ballpoint pen. It was so great that I even thought it would be the same if I had written it myself. Still, it was better than not being able to go home, so I reluctantly paid the money.

Finally leaving America. In the morning, I had coffee at the hotel and called an Uber to the airport.
Will such a special trip ever come again? It was such a fruitful and intense journey that I even thought it might have been the last of my life.

I passed the PCR documents the day before without any problems and was able to board the plane, including the consent form. The message was frightening: ``If you violate the self-restraint period and go out and cause a cluster, we will report your real name,'' but we had no choice.

On the way back, I took a rickety plane and arrived at Haneda. I took an antibody test at Haneda Airport, and it was my fourth PCR test in a month. During this period, I am more confident that I have undergone PCR than anyone else.

I successfully entered the country and headed back home from Haneda for the first time in a month, marking the finale of my great adventure.